


a sliver of hope

by danhowellsjeans



Category: Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Dangan Ronpa - Freeform, Original Character Insert, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-31
Updated: 2017-04-04
Packaged: 2018-10-13 07:38:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10509291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/danhowellsjeans/pseuds/danhowellsjeans
Summary: a sixteenth student. an alternate timeline. a stupid, stupid romance story.





	1. can i stay in your room?

It hadn't even been a week. It hadn't even been a fucking week, and three people were already dead. Makoto had locked himself away after the trial, refusing to leave his room or speak to anyone except to get food. However, Haru had different ideas. They had spent the beginning of their free time making lunch from scratch. The resulting soup was...mostly just a mixture of whatever they had found in the fridge thrown into some broth. Looking at it, they shrugged, taking the two bowls and placing them onto a tray. Carrying the tray carefully, they made their way to Makoto's room, nudging at the door with their foot. Surprisingly, it was open. A slight pang of apprehension resounded in their chest as they sat the tray down on the desk inside. "Makoto?" They called out, their voice more shaky than they'd expected. Relief washed through them as Makoto poked his head out of the bathroom. "Hey...I brought lunch for you." Haru said softly, watching as the disheveled boy came out into the room. "My God...you look terrible." Makoto let out a weak laugh. "Thanks." Sitting down at his desk, he frowned. "Why are there two bowls?" Haru rolled their eyes. "I'm gonna eat with you, stupid. You can't just avoid everyone for the rest of your life, you know." Sighing, they plopped down beside him, watching him stare blankly at the bowls. He looked...lifeless. "Hey, come on." They placed a hand gently on his shoulder, and he tensed. "I'm not gonna hurt you, Makoto." They said in a comforting tone. Very slowly, he relaxed. Not saying anything, the two ate. Afterwards, Haru cleaned up the bowls, making to leave. "Haru...wait." Makoto said softly enough that they almost didn't catch it. "Hm?" They set the tray back down. "Stay here for a while. I...I haven't had company in a while..." His voice trailed off, and he looked down at his feet. Haru wondered if he was crying, and their suspicions were confirmed when he began to tremble. They rushed forward, pulling Makoto into a hug and almost falling backwards as he leaned almost his entire weight against them. They waited for him to say something, but he simply cried. It was only when Haru heard a soft snore that they knew he had fallen asleep. They carried him to his bed, laying him on it. However, when they tried to leave, Makoto tightened his grip. They sighed. 'Guess I'm not going anywhere. The others are going to get worried, but it's alright.' They thought. Though it was midday, they laid down beside the sleeping boy and dozed off.

Haru was awoken by the familiar sound of the intercom, chiming in to announce nighttime. They turned to see Makoto, still asleep. 'He couldn't have gotten much sleep recently.' They gently brushed the hair out of his eyes, jumping a bit as his eyes slowly opened. "I didn't mean to wake you. Sorry..." Makoto shook his head. "It's okay. I...didn't know you'd stay." They chuckled. "You wouldn't let me leave. You're like a sloth, man." They studied the soft blush that rose to his cheeks at that, lightening up his otherwise ghostly pale face. "What time is it?" He asked, looking around. "It just hit 10 right before you woke up." Makoto's eyes widened. "I was out for a long time..." He mumbled, looking down. "Sorry for keeping you here. You can...go, if you want." Haru's heart began to race as they fully registered how close they were to each other. "I shouldn't go out...it is nighttime, after all..." The two of them both knew Haru could easily slip down the hallway to their room, but neither seemed to want to be alone. "I'll...stay..." They murmured, standing up. "I wish I could take a shower, though." They sighed, and Makoto nodded. "Yeah, guess you gotta wait till morning." He stood up to follow them, wherever they were going. However, his heart dropped when he saw them move towards what were supposed to be windows. They placed their hand on the metal blocks, their face sullen. "I want to go home, Makoto. I don't want to be here anymore...but I'd rather stay here the rest of my life than kill someone." Their voice cracked at the end as they broke down into tears of their own. "Haru?" Makoto's voice was laced with worry. They let out a soft sob, sinking to the floor. Makoto wasted no time in rushing down beside them, embracing them tightly. They didn't cry for long, sinking back into the brown haired boy's arms. "I'm sorry, Haru. I want to go home too..." He whispered. He let out a soft gasp as they scooted up onto his lap, cuddling into him. He opened his mouth to speak, but was quickly cut off. "Don't say anything. Just...hold me." Their voice was weak, and Makoto wanted to comfort them, but he figured it was best to respect their wishes right now. The pair sat in silence for at least an hour, and Makoto was just drifting off to sleep when he felt Haru shift to face him. "What's up?" He murmured, tilting his head in confusion. Their face flushed, and they didn't say a word. They simply leaned towards him.


	2. happy reunion?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> lots of kissing for my own benefit

"Well, well, well! Looks like we've got a couple lovebirds in our midst!" The shrill voice of Monokuma rang through the room, startling the two teens apart. "Not cool, man." Haru mumbled, and Monokuma pouted. "I just wanted to see what was going on! It's excitiiiiing to see love in the air!" Makoto groaned. "Get out of my room." Monokuma frowned. "Fine, fine! I can see when I'm not wanted!" With a pop, he was gone as fast as he came. "Thank God..." Makoto muttered, looking up. "I'm sorry about that, he-" He was stopped by Haru, pressing themself forward to kiss him. A muffled noise of surprise weakly escaped him as he melted into their arms. For the first time in what seemed like forever, the two of them felt pure happiness. Haru shivered as Makoto shifted forward, deepening the kiss. They both, however, needed to pull apart, due to the fact that their lungs were burning with a need for oxygen. "Wow." The word escaped Haru's mouth before they could think about it, causing Makoto to giggle. 'Man, he's hot.' They thought as they studied him, watching the way his lips curled as he laughed. They wanted to kiss him again, so they did. Once again catching him by surprise, they pulled him in. This one lasted a shorter amount of time, and they laid their foreheads together when they pulled apart. "Thank you..." Makoto said softly, pressing one more soft kiss to their lips before embracing them. "What time is it now? It's definitely been a while..." Haru frowned, looking up at the clock on the wall. 2 AM? Wait, had time really gone that fast..? They shook their head, startled. "We've still got a few hours before we can leave...what do you wanna do?" Makoto giggled, drawing a confused look from Haru. "What?" They paused at the look on his face, rolling their eyes. "Camera, stupid." They mumbled, grinning. "Then how about this?" He tackled them to the bed, tickling them mercilessly. "Hey, stop that!" They yelped, bursting into laughter.

Of course, they ended up kissing again.

-

When the morning announcement came, the two were lying on the bed, ruffled from the tickle fight, their faces bright red. "Great, now it looks like we did it anyways." Haru snickered as they got up out of the bed, attempting to smooth down their hair. "Eh, whatever." They shrugged, moving towards the door. "Come on, Makoto. The others will be happy to see you, fake sex hair and all." He sighed, standing up and following them out of the room. They arrived in the cafeteria and a collective gasp came from the other students. "Makoto! You're okay! And...you..." Both their faces flushed when the students started staring. "It's not like that!" Haru yelped, pulling a laugh from the rest of the room. "Well, whatever. I'm glad you're safe." Kyoko smiled softly, brushing her hair out of her eyes. "We were all worried about you, Makoto." Hina grinned, running forward from the other side of the room to hug her friend. The rest of breakfast was spent rejoicing over Makoto's return. After the meal, the group separated for free time. Makoto and Haru went to the bath house. Of course, everyone saw them, but nobody bothered them. If they could find any sort of happiness in this hellish place, let them have it. When they came back out just as ruffled as they had gone in, nobody questioned it.

Nightfall came fast. It had, in Haru's opinion, been the best day they'd ever had. Not just here, but ever. Sadly, all good things must come to an end. Both them and Makoto had agreed to sleep separately tonight. They were both nervous, but nothing should change, right? They'd been safe the past week...Haru shivered as they entered their own room. It was cold, probably because nobody had slept there last night. As the nighttime announcement rang, they sighed. "Sleep tight...yeah, sure. Thanks, Monokuma." They mumbled before falling asleep.

Later that night, they were awoken to the sound of the intercom buzzing on their door. Blearily, they got up and opened it. "Yes?" They mumbled, barely even registering who it was. Was that Mondo? "Can I come in for a second?" He asked. "I guess. What's up, Mondo?" They said, not really thinking of why someone would be coming in their room this late at night. That is, until they felt the cold metal enter their stomach. Their eyes widened, and they looked down at the knife sticking out of their stomach, deep crimson beginning to soak through the fabric of their shirt. As they fell, one last thought ran through their mind. "I hope Makoto's sleeping well."


	3. the truth of happiness

Nobody found Haru Kumagai until the next morning. Nobody found Haru until Makoto Naegi opened their door to find them dead. Nobody found Haru until they heard his screams echoing down the hallways like a funeral bell's toll. Everyone found Haru when they came rushing to see what had happened. Everyone found Haru when they saw Makoto in the doorway, trembling like a leaf. Everyone found Haru, cold and dead on the floor of their own bedroom.  
And then, the familiar voice. "A body has been discovered!" Everyone was silent as it sank in. Another one, gone. As they glanced at Makoto, they realized that he was also gone, in a way. His eyes were blank, the small amount of hope that had always been there now gone. "I'll...take him back to his room." Hina whispered, taking Makoto's limp arm and leading him down the hallway to his own room. "Makoto? Are you okay?" She asked softly. He didn't respond, still staring blankly at nothing. It didn't even seem like he'd registered her. Hina sighed shakily, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry, Makoto." She whispered before standing, leaving the room.  
The rest of the day went by as usual after a death. The students dragging themselves around the school to find evidence to save their own lives, followed by a tense class trial in which they discovered the killer. Of course, it was difficult to find. There was barely any evidence available...but they managed. Mondo Owada was executed. The students went back to their rooms, exhausted and hopeless.  
Makoto had barely done anything at the trial. He'd spoken once or twice only to direct blame away from himself. Haru wouldn't want him dead, right? Monokuma had given him strange looks following the trial, most likely thinking of a way to punish him for not participating enough. Now that he was back in his room, he let the overwhelming despair that he'd been holding back since he'd seen Haru's dead body overflow. He screamed, he cried, he beat the walls until his hands bled. He paced around the room until his feet were sore and then screamed again. "I have to get out of here...I can't handle this anymore!" Tears were streaming down his face as he tied up his bedsheet into a noose-like shape. If death was the only way out, he might as well try. As soon as he stepped up onto the chair, though, Monokuma appeared. "Well, I see you're trying to make things harder for your fellow students! Unfortunately, I can't have you offing yourself quite yet." The bear giggled. "Maybe later! Right now, I'd like to show you something. You may have noticed that the body of your beloved Haru disappeared before you could get a full investigation on it." Makoto, not knowing where this was going, simply nodded weakly. "So, here's the reason!" Hopping into the hallway for a moment, Monokuma returned with a figure, tied up. Haru, tied up, lifelike color back in their cheeks. They were unconscious, but alive. Makoto let out a choked noise as Monokuma disappeared, running forward and falling to his knees. With shaking hands, he untied the ropes and gently shook Haru. "W-wake up!" He was crying, praying to everything he could think of that this wasn't a dream. When they didn't wake up, he reached for their wrist, checking for a pulse he feared wouldn't be there. However, though weak, it was there. Without thinking, Makoto picked Haru up and ran out of the room, carrying them to the infirmary. He wasn't quite sure what to do, though. "Guess I'll have to get some help..." He mumbled. "I'll be right back." He kissed their forehead, wiping his eyes and running out of the room. He headed to the pool, knowing Hina would either be there or in the kitchen. She seemed to know what she was doing when he'd seen her try and help people before. Everyone in the room looked up when he slammed the doors open, gasping for breath. "Come to the infirmary. Please!" Without questioning a thing, Hina, Sakura, and Kyoko jumped up. Led by Makoto, they ran back to the infirmary. Then, they froze. "Is that..." Makoto, already by Haru's side, looked up. "They need help. I'll explain later...once I know what happened from their story." Following his words, the three girls rushed forward to try and wake their friend up.


	4. things are always better in dreams

There was a heavy feeling of apprehension over the entire school as the news got around. Why didn't Haru die? Why did they come back? Why weren't they waking up? Questions swirled around in the student's minds as they went about the rest of their day. Nothing was working in the infirmary, and Makoto was starting to panic again. They were alive, he knew that...would they be stuck there, comatose, for the rest of their life? As he sat next to the bed, staring at them, he sighed. They seemed so peaceful, he almost didn't want to wake them up and bring them back to this hell. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you, Haru..." Makoto whispered, standing up as the nighttime announcement sounded. "I'll be back tomorrow." Slowly, hesitantly, he walked out of the infirmary. Back in his room, he fell into a restless sleep.  
The next morning, Makoto woke not to the sound of the announcement, but to the sound of his intercom ringing. "Makoto, wake up! You've overslept!" Taka, of course. Makoto jumped up out of bed, brushing his fingers through his hair before opening his door to find Taka standing there, arms crossed and an annoyed look on his face. "Sorry..." Makoto muttered. "Monokuma wants us all in the gym. You'd better hurry." Taka stated before turning and running back towards the school zone. Makoto trailed behind, confused. Nothing had happened, so why were they all gathering? It hadn't been long enough since the last trial for another motive...He shook his head as he entered the school zone. Passing the red door, he shivered, memories of both trials rushing through his mind. "Come on, Naegi!" Taka yelled from farther down the hall, startling him out of his thoughts. Finally, he entered the gym to find everyone standing there. As soon as the doors shut behind him, a familiar shrill voice echoed through the gym. "Welcome, everyone! I'm sure you're all wondering why I've called you here. I think it's about time I learned a little bit more about you! One by one, I'm going to call you to the A/V room. The rest of you can just go about your day!" A scared silence fell on the room. "W-what are you going to do to us?" Hina's voice coming from the corner. "You'll see! Can't spoil the surprise, now can I?" With that, Monokuma disappeared. Almost immediately after he left, the announcement bell rang. "Will Makoto Naegi please make his way to the A/V room? Thank you!" Makoto froze. Why was he first? Just his luck, probably. The other students watched him as he shakily walked out.  
As he arrived, he noticed Monokuma, already there. "Good morning, Mr. Naegi! Why don't you have a seat in that chair over there, and we can start!" Holding himself back from speaking, Makoto sat down. There was a moment of silence before suddenly, he was locked down. Clamps were holding his arms and body down to the chair, and he screamed. "Oh, be quiet! I'm not going to hurt you right now. Just a few questions." Makoto slowly stopped screaming, though he was still shaking. "What's your favorite thing to do here at school?" Monokuma asked gleefully, suddenly holding a pencil and a notepad. "Uh...I like to talk to my friends...and sometimes read?" The bear nodded, acting as if he actually was an interviewer. "What would you say is your favorite time of day?" He continued. "Uh...Probably nighttime. Daytime has its benefits, but getting some rest after a long day is always nice." Monokuma giggled. "I'd agree with you, but I don't sleep. One last question...Who would you say you trusted most in the school? Who would you trust with everything you had, including your life?" The question hung in the air, the room silent. Something about it chilled Makoto to the bone. "Haru." He murmured. "I didn't catch that. Come again?" Monokuma tilted his head, his pencil poised to write. "Haru Kumagai. I trust them more than anyone that I've ever met." He didn't know where this was going, but it's not like he would lie. Monokuma couldn't do anything to them anyways, they were...Yeah, they were safe for the moment. "Hmm, interesting. Alright, you're free to go!" The clamps released, and the room's door opened. Though still utterly confused, Makoto wandered out and made his way back to the infirmary.

�


	5. my fault

"What the fuck?" The words spilled out of Makoto's mouth as soon as he opened the infirmary door. On the bed, Haru was sitting up, awake. Makoto slammed the door shut. A couple of moments passed where Makoto stood in shocked silence outside the door before it opened. In the doorway stood Haru, arms crossed. "Hey, Makoto."   
Makoto passed out.  
-  
A bright light shone into Makoto's eyes when he woke up. He was...in his room? "You awake, 'koto?" A soft voice, followed by a gentle touch to his cheek. He jolted, scrambling back to the head of his bed. "You...you're awake?" A laugh. "Pretty sure." Haru smiled. "Though waking up to nothing but a freaky-ass teddy bear really put a damper on the whole thing." Makoto's eyes widened. "Monokuma woke you up? That asshole..." He muttered, sliding back down on his bed. "What, are you not happy to see me?" His eyes widened at that. "Oh, no! That's not what I meant. I'll...explain later." Moving closer, he held out a trembling hand. Gently, as if he was afraid they would disappear, he laid a hand on their shoulder. "You're awake..." He whispered, tears forming in his eyes. "I thought you would never wake up...God, I missed you!" At that, he threw himself at them, pulling them into a tight hug. He was sobbing. "Don't do that to me..." Haru, starting to tear up themself, held Makoto close. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I should have been more careful." They tensed. "Did Mondo..." Makoto nodded, and Haru let out a weak cry. "He shouldn't have died. This is my fault. Dammit!" They hissed, suddenly in hysterics. "Haru! Calm down, please..." Makoto took their face in his hands, leaning his forehead against theirs. "It's not your fault. You know who's it is." He took a shaky breath. "They ought to have known you were alive the whole time, in which case the whole thing was a lie." He kissed their nose, wiping the tears from their cheeks with his thumbs. "It's not your fault." Their eyes shining with tears, they looked up into his eyes. "I'm sorry for getting so emotional...I don't know why I'm acting like this." They sniffled, rubbing their eyes. "It's just another death, I didn't even like Mondo that much...Why am I acting like this?" They sighed. "Whatever. I want to go see everyone else. I didn't get the chance to 'cause you passed out as soon as you saw me." Makoto laughed, embarrassed. "Let's go see everyone."

Several hugs and many tears later, Haru had gone back to their room, alone. They felt a little off, and though they weren't sure why, they wanted to find out. Going to the shower, they examined themself in the mirror. Other than looking deathly tired, there was nothing different about them. Turning away, Haru sighed. "Guess it's nothing." They murmured, leaving the shower. When they laid down on their bed, however, they winced. A sharp pain ran up their right arm. Thinking for a moment, they tried to remember if they had hurt themself somehow in the time they'd been awake. Not coming up with anything, they decided to ask Makoto. They made their way to his room, buzzing the intercom. The brown haired boy poked his head out. "Yeah? Oh, hey boo. What's up?" They didn't say anything as they pushed past him, curling up on his bed. "Can you check my arm? It feels weird..." They asked softly, holding their arm up in the air. Confused, Makoto tugged up their sleeve and gasped. "What the hell..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this chapter's super short, i wanted to wake them up but not get too far into the next part of the plot!

**Author's Note:**

> hey look it's another fandom lol


End file.
